Human Coronaviruses: General Features

Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences
2019

ARTICLE IN PRESS

Xin Li, Hayes K. H. Luk, Susanna K. P. Lau, Patrick C. Y. Woo

Abstract

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs), including HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1, are traditionally known to cause symptoms of common cold with only moderate clinical impact. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), on the other hand, have strike humans in the past two decades as highly fatal human pathogens leading to considerable mortality and economic loss. This article summaries the updates on the structure, genome organization, replication and clinical features of human coronaviruses. Recent studies also shed light upon the zoonotic origin of emerging human pathogens including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, providing insight for future surveillance and intervention.

Keywords

Epidemiology, Genome, Human coronavirus, MERS, Replication, SARS, Structure

The 3D structure analysis of SARS-CoV S1 protein reveals a link to influenza virus neuraminidase and implications for drug and antibody discovery

Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM
Volume 681, Issues 1–3, 26 July 2004, Pages 137-141

Xue Wu Zhang, Yee Leng Yap

Abstract

The spike protein of SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an important target for anti-SARS drug discovery. Its S1 domain is responsible for receptor binding and SARS-CoV entry into cells. In this study, we constructed a rational 3D model for S1 domain of SARS-CoV spike protein by fold recognition and molecular modeling techniques. We found that there is a structure similarity between S1 protein and influenza virus neuraminidase. Our analyses suggest that the existing anti-influenza virus inhibitors and anti-neuraminidase antibody could be used as a starting point for designing anti-SARS drugs, vaccines and antibodies. Interestingly, our prediction for antibody is consistent with a recently experimental discovery of anti-SARS antibody.

Keywords

SARS-CoV, S1 protein, Structure, Influenza virus, Inhibitor, Antibody